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Click here to return to the main site. HISTORY OF HELLBOY It’s been 26 years since we were graced with the birth of Hellboy, from the fiery depths of… well, hell? Despite his questionable ancestry, (being summoned to earth as a baby by Nazi occultists) this devilish half-demon, half-hero has never failed to light up our screens. Now it’s 2019, and in light of the release of Hellboy on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD on 19 August, we thought we would take a look back at the journey of Hellboy, and how this legendary horned-hero has evolved through popular culture over the last two decades...
Initial Concept and Author Hellboy originated from the brilliant mind of Mike Mignola, with a drawing done at the San Diego Comic-Con in 1993. Since then, he has appeared in various shapes and colours, from comic book series to blockbuster films featuring in 438 comic books and 14 graphic novels and anthologies since 1994. Christopher Golden has written several novels about the character, the first two of which, The Lost Army and The Bones of Giants, are also part of the official Hellboy story. How the Character's Look Has Evolved Over the Years In his first public appearance back in 1993, the character we now know as Hellboy was still very much in the draft stages. Despite being printed on the front cover of Dime Press, an obscure Italian Fanzine, Hellboy had grey skin and an outfit not common to the modern day character. Following this, his first full appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con offered a short four page black and white story featuring an unrecognisably monochromatic exterior. It wasn’t until John Byrne’s Next Men was released later that year that Hellboy was shown in full-colour glory – the iconic red exterior, now integral to his unique identity. Animated Series'
On top of his extensive anthology, there have also been various animated series dedicated to the daring devil, with voices portrayed by Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and Selma Blair (Liz Sherman). Hellboy: Sword of Storms is the first animated series based on the comics, shown on Cartoon Network in 2006. The film was produced by Starz Media's Film Roman and Revolution Studios by animation veteran Tad Stones. Hellboy: Blood And Iron is the second addition to the Hellboy animated series, written by Tad Stones and Mike Mignola aired in 2007. Lastly, Hellboy: Iron Shoes was a short film that was made by the same company and was released as a bonus short on the DVD release of Hellboy: Blood & Iron. Video Games If you thought 438 comic books and animated series’ weren’t enough, there are also multiple video games available to play. Hellboy: Dogs of the Night, was released in 2000 for Microsoft Windows. It was later transferred to PlayStation, now available as Hellboy: Asylum Seeker. In 2005, Guillermo Del Toro announced that he was planning to create a new Hellboy video game based on his movie version of the character, featuring new monsters, new villains, and a new storyline. It was released in 2008, titled Hellboy: The Science of Evil. Further game appearances include a video game created for iPhone called Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Tooth Fairy Terror, and as a playable character in both Injustice 2 and Brawlhalla. Live Action Films
The character of Hellboy has now also been adapted into three live-action feature films. Hellboy (2004) directed by Guillermo Del Toro, starring Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and Selma Blaire (Liz Sherman) the first, shortly followed by a sequel titled Hellboy II: The Golden Army. This second film was shot in Budapest, with Perlman and Blaire returning once again, this time accompanied by Seth MacFarlane as the voice of Johann Krauss. Finally, Hellboy is back, and he’s on fire in 2019. Mignola’s cult comic book series Hellboy, filled with horrifying vision of monsters and mayhem, is brought to life a third time by director Neil Marshall (The Descent, TV’s Game of Thrones) and stars Golden Globe nominee David Harbour (Stranger Things) as the titular half-demon superhero, Hellboy. The gritty, gory, action-packed creature film also stars Milla Jovovich, Golden Globe winner Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim, and Academy Award nominee Thomas Haden Church. Hellboy arrives on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD on 19 August. Get fully immersed into the world of Hellboy with never before seen special features and deleted scenes. Now that’s something to brighten up your Monday!
Hellboy is out now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download. Click here to buy this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray - Amazon.co.uk Return to...
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